What's In A Name?

What's In A Name?

Many of the place names in Ireland are anglicized versions of the way the original Irish (Gaelic) name was spoken. When the place names were being anglicized, the English spelling of the place name was a a phonetic match to the original Irish name. Although this resulted in some interesting sounding place names, it meant the the original meaning behind the Irish name was lost in translation.

With the original Irish place names, frequent use was made of natural or man-made features of the landscape as well as names of families who lived in the area. For example, Clonmel's original Irish name was “Cluain Meala” meaning "the honey meadow". Likewise, Kildare's original Irish name was “Cill Dara”, meaning "Church of the Oak".

Listed below are some of the townlands of Kilbrin, in both English and original Irish names. Also provided is a translation of the original Irish name. The list is still under construction. Additional townlands will be added as they become available.

English Name	Original Irish Name	Translation
Ballybane	Baile Ban	The white house or homestead.
Ballygraddy	Baile ui Grada	O'Grady's townland
Ballyheen	Baile Aghaidh Chaoin	The townland of the beautiful/smooth surface
Ballyhest	Baile Sheis	The townland of the ses or broom
Ballynoe	Baile Nuadh	The new townland
Ballymacpierse	Baile Mhic Piarais	Mac Pierse's townland
Ballyphilibeen	Baile Mhic Philibín	Mac Philbin's townland. Philibin or Philibeen is “little Philip”
Ballyrusheen	Baile Ruisin	The townland of the little wood
Castlecor	“Castle Corith” or “Caisleán na Cora”	The castle of the weir
Clonrobin	Cluain Roibin	Robin's meadow or lawn
Coolageela	Cuil a Gile	The wet corner
Coolmahane	Cúl Meathan	The corner of the oak-slits for sieves
Corbally	Corr Bhaile	The odd townland
Curragh	Cuirreach	“Racecourse” or “place of the running horse”
Curraghs	Curracha	The moors
Dromin	Dromin	Little ridge
Drominagore	Druimin na gCor	Little ridge of the cranes
Garranmacgarrett	Garrán MacGarret	McGarrett's Wood / Shrubbery
Kilbrin	Cill Bhrain	The Church of St. Bran
Knockagolig	Cnoc a' Bhealaigh	The hill of the pass
Knockalohert	Cnoc a' Luibhghoirt	The hill of the herb plot or garden
Knockballymartin	Cnoc Bhaile Mhairtin	The hill of Martin's townland
Knocknanuss	“Cnoc na nOs” or “Cnoc na nDos”	“Hill of the sighs” or “Hill of the drone of bagpipes”. Both refer to the battle fought in Knocknanuss. The “sighs” refer to the moaning and weeping of the wives of the confederate soldiers searching for their loved ones. The “drone of bagpipes” refers to the Scottish pipers who always travelled with the famous Scottish soldiers, the Redshankers.
Lackeel	Leamhchoill	“Elm wood”
Mahanagh	Meathanach	“A place of the sieve slits”. (The general tradition in these places is that the sieve makers lived there)
Rathnagard	Rath na gCard	“The fort of the artisans”

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